bonnets, and there were flourishing manufactures of caps, woollens, and broadcloth. Afterward blue thread, called "Coventry true blue," and still later tammies, camlets, shalloons, and callimancoes, were staple manufactures; but the articles now most largely made are silks, ribbons, fringes, and especially watches, the last more extensively than even at London. The ribbon manufacture employs about 6,000 persons in the city, and 14,000 more in the neighboring villages. Coventry was anciently defended by walls and towers, but only a small portion of the former and 3 of the latter remain; the rest were destroyed by Charles II. on account of the favor shown by the citizens to the parliamentarians. Two parliaments were held here, one by Henry IV. in 1404, the other by Henry VI. in 1459. The people were noted for their love of all kinds of shows, pageants, and processions, descriptions of which have furnished matter for several curious and interesting works. The religious dramas called mysteries were performed here with peculiar magnificence as early as 1416, and not unfrequently in the presence of royalty. A procession still annually takes place here, commemorative of the legend of the countess Godiva, who is said to have obtained from her husband Leofric the repeal of certain heavy imposts under which the citizens complained, on condition that she should ride naked through the streets of Coventry at noonday. She ordered the people to keep within doors and close their shutters, and, veiled only by her long flowing hair, she mounted her palfrey and rode through the town, unseen except by an inquisitive tailor, immortalized under the sobriquet of "peeping Tom," whose curiosity was punished by instant blindness. This story, on which Alfred Tennyson has founded a beautiful poem, was first recorded by Matthew of Westminster, who wrote in 1307, 250 years after its supposed occurrence. The procession, as now held during the great fair, which takes place in Trinity week, dates from 1677, and before the passage of the municipal reform act was solemnly attended by the city authorities. The principal characters are St. George of England on his charger, and the lady Godiva, who is represented by a female with flowing hair, clad in a close-fitting flesh-colored garment, and riding a gray horse. Strong efforts have been made to suppress this exhibition, but without success.-Coventry is connected with the grand trunk navigation by the Coventry and Oxford canal, and with the chief emporiums of the kingdom by the great northwestern and 2 branch railways. It sends 2 members to parliament. The meaning of the phrase "sending to Coventry" is variously given. Some suppose it to have originated with military men, who were formerly regarded with disfavor by the inhabitants.

COVERDALE, MILES, bishop of Exeter in the reign of Edward VI., born in Yorkshire in 1487, was educated in the house of Augustine friars at Cambridge. Attached in his early years

to the religion in which he had been educated, he was ordained a priest of the order of St. Augustine in 1514, at Norwich. Afterward changing his opinions, he dedicated himself solely to the service of the reformation, and was among the first at Cambridge to renounce allegiance to the church of Rome. Finding residence in England unsafe, he went abroad, and assisted Tyndale in his translation of the Bible. In 1535 he published a translation of his own, with a dedication to King Henry VIII.; of this edition no perfect copy is now known to exist. The version of the Psalms in this translation is that now used in the "Common Prayer" of the Episcopal church. In 1538, by special license, Coverdale published a quarto edition of the New Testament in English. The skill of the French printers, and the comparative cheapness of labor and materials at Paris, made King Henry desirous of printing an edition of the Bible in that city. Permission was granted by Francis I., then king of France, in the last named year, and Coverdale went thither to superintend it; but before the completion of the undertaking it was denounced by the inquisition, and the impression of 2,500 copies condemned to the flames. Owing to the cupidity of the officer to whom the execution of the sentence had been confided, a few copies were sold as waste paper, and so preserved. These, with presses, types, and printers, were shortly after transported to England, and used under the superintendence of Coverdale in printing the "Great Bible" of Cranmer. Coverdale held the office of almoner to Queen Catharine Parr, and officiated at her funeral in 1548. In 1551, when appointed to the bishopric of Exeter, the customary payment of first fruits was remitted to him, at the solicitation of Cranmer, on account of his poverty. On the accession of Queen Mary, and the consequent restoration of the Roman Catholic religion, Coverdale was deposed from his bishopric, and escaped a long imprisonment only on condition of leaving the country. He found an asylum, first in Denmark, and afterward in Geneva, where he assisted in the English translation known as the "Genevan Bible." He returned to England on the accession of Elizabeth, but was not restored to the see of Exeter. His last days were spent in translating the writings of the continental reformers, and publishing original tracts in support of the principles of the reformation. The date of his death is uncertain, but he was buried in the church of St. Bartholomew, London, Feb. 19, 1568. On Oct. 4, 1835, was celebrated the 3d centenary of the publication of his Bible.

COVINGTON. I. A S. co. of Ala., bordering on Fla., drained by Conecuh and Yellowwater rivers; area, 1,240 sq. m.; pop. in 1850, 3,645, of whom 480 were slaves. The surface is uneven, and mostly occupied by pine forests, the lumber obtained from which forms the chief article of export. The soil is sandy and poor. In 1850 it produced 80,205 bushels of Indian corn, and 416 bales of cotton. There

were 9 churches, and 144 pupils in the public schools. Capital, Montezuma. II. A S. co. of Miss., drained by affluents of Leaf river; area, 680 sq. m.; pop. in 1850, 3,338, of whom 1,114 were slaves. Pine timber occupies portions of the surface, but it is not abundant. The soil is light and sandy, and in 1850 produced 108,920 bushels of Indian corn, 9,417 of oats, 51,849 of sweet potatoes, and 1,164 bales of cotton. There were 2 churches, and 126 pupils attending schools and academies. The county was named in honor of Gen. Covington. Capital, Williamsburg.

COVINGTON, a thriving city of Kenton co., Ky.; pop. in 1853, about 13,000. It stands on a beautiful plain on the Ohio river, opposite Cincinnati, and at the mouth of Licking river, on the other side of which is the town of Newport. It is regularly built, and in its general arrangement greatly resembles Cincinnati, of which it may be considered a suburb. Many persons doing business in Cincinnati have their residence here. Covington contains a number of cot ton, woollen, silk, and tobacco factories, an extensive pork and beef packing establishment, a large city hall, 3 banks, 2 female academies, 10 churches, and the western theological college, a wealthy institution under the charge of the Baptists.

COW. See CATTLE.

COWELL, JOHN, an English civilian, born at Ernsborough, in Devonshire, in 1554, died at Cambridge, Oct. 11, 1611. He was educated at the university of Cambridge, where he subsequently became fellow, professor of civil law, and master of Trinity hall. In 1607 he published a general law dictionary, styled the "Interpreter," which, though displaying extensive erudition, involved him in much trouble, the house of commons having commenced a prosecution against him for maintaining in that work that a British monarch might make laws without the consent of parliament. The king, James I., however, interposed, and proceedings were stopped. Beside the above named work, Cowell also wrote "Institutes of the Laws of England."

ČOWES, WEST, a seaport town and watering place of the isle of Wight, Hampshire, England, situated on the W. side of the mouth of the river Medina, which enters the Solent channel nearly opposite the estuary called Southampton water; pop. in 1851, 4,786. It is finely situated on rising ground, and presents a handsome appearance from the harbor, with its houses rising one above another, its castle and crescent-shaped battery, and its modern villas crowning the eminence. It has a number of good hotels and lodging houses for summer visitors, an assembly room, a town hall, a mechanics' institute, 5 places of worship, the club house of the royal yacht squadron, which holds its annual regatta here, and a marine parade, which lies S. of the castle, and forms a fashionable promenade. The streets, however, are steep, narrow, and in many quarters disfigured by old and wretched dwellings. Its beautiful scenery, good situation, and

facilities for sea-bathing at a fine beach very near the town, render it one of the most popular bathing places in England. The harbor is excellent, and there is constant steam communication with Portsmouth, Yarmouth, Southampton, &c. A brisk trade is carried on in provisions and other marine stores; wheat, flour, malt, barley, wool, and salt are largely exported to France, Spain, Portugal, and the Mediterranean; vessels of war, yachts, and other craft of superior sailing qualities, are built in considerable numbers. The registered shipping of the port, Dec. 81, 1856, showed an aggregate of 168 vessels, tonnage 7,683. Number of vessels entered dur ing the year, 1,454, tonnage 62,048; number of vessels cleared, 519, tonnage 13,055.-EAST Cowes, a small place, on the opposite bank of the Medina, communicates by ferry with the above town, of which it may be considered a suburb. It contains the custom house of the port, a church, a botanic garden, and a number of handsome dwellings. Osborne house, the marine villa of Queen Victoria, is in the vicinity.

CÓWETA, a N. W. co. of Ga.; area, 378 sq. m.; pop. in 1852, 12,498, of whom 4,823 were slaves. Value of real estate in 1856, $2,131,799. It is bounded N. W. by the Chattahoochee, and E. by Line creek. It has an uneven surface and a fertile soil, most of which consists of a sandy loam. Oak, hickory, and pine are the principal kinds of timber. In 1850 the productions were 10,369 bales of cotton, 516,910 bushels of corn, 93,104 of oats, and 94,357 of sweet potatoes. There were 27 churches, and 800 pupils attending academies and schools. A gold mine was worked here during the same year. The county was formed in 1826, and named in honor of Gen. William McIntosh, a half-blood Creek Indian and head chief of the Coweta villages. Capital, Newnan.

COWHAGE, bristly hairs from the pod of the mucuna pruriens, a perennial climbing plant, which grows in the West Indies and other parts of tropical America. The pod is imported for the sake of the hairs, which are used in medicine. They are sharp, penetrating spiculæ, which produce an intense itching sensation when handled. In the West Indies they were long since found to possess valuable qualities as a vermifuge, probably by penetrating and thus destroying the worms. They are consequently adopted in medical practice, and introduced into the pharmacopoeias. The medicine is prepared by dipping the pods in molasses and scraping the hairs into this, until a mixture is obtained as thick as honey. Cowhage has also been applied as an external irritant by making it into an ointment with lard.

COWL (Sax. cugle; Lat. cucullus), a sort of hood, originally worn by all classes, and stil retained by certain orders of monks. It consists of a conical covering for the head, attached to the robe or cloak, and sometimes made to draw over the shoulders also. According to Mabillon, it was at first the same

as the scapular. The Benedictines and Bernardines have 2 sorts, one black for ordinary occasions, and another white and very large for days of ceremony. The proper shape of the cowl has been the subject of long and bitter dissensions in the Franciscan order, which 4 popes exhausted every means to heal, and which were only remedied by time.

COWLEY, ABRAHAM, an English poet, born in London in 1618, died at Chertsey, in Surrey, July 28, 1667. His father died before his birth, and he was brought up under the care of his mother, by whose solicitation he was admitted into Westminster school. Spenser's "Fairy Queen" first led him to turn his attention to poetry. A volume of his poems was published when he was 15 years old, including some of his compositions written at 10 years of age. While he was yet at school, he produced a comedy entitled "Love's Riddle," written in the pastoral strain. In 1636 he removed to Cambridge, and two years afterward published his "Love's Riddle," with Naufragium Joculare, a comedy in Latin prose, now totally forgotten. In 1643 he was ejected from Cambridge, on account of his political opinions and independence, and went to Oxford. He was strongly attached to the fortunes of Charles I., and in the struggle which followed was a devoted partisan of the royal cause. When Oxford was taken possession of by the parliament, Cowley followed the queen to Paris, and there became secretary to Lord Jermyn, afterward the earl of St. Albans; he was frequently occupied in writing and deciphering the secret letters that passed between the king and queen, an office of delicate nature and of great responsibility. He was absent from England all together upward of 10 years, and during that time he undertook some very perilous journeys to Jersey, Scotland, Flanders, Holland, and other countries. In 1656 he repaired secretly to England, but was arrested and only set at liberty on his giving bail for £1,000. In that year he published his poems, and in his preface appears to have inserted a passage suppressed in subsequent editions, which was thought to intimate a change in his loyal feelings, and he also speaks of his desire to "retire to the American plantations and forsake this world for ever." On the death of Oliver Cromwell he returned to France, where he remained in his former station until the restoration of the Stuarts. He was made a doctor of medicine at Oxford in 1657, but there is no reason to suppose that he ever practised. He considered a knowledge of botany indispensable to the medical profession, and retiring to the county of Kent, busied himself with gathering plants. He also wrote a Latin poem on plants in 6 books. When the restoration took place, Cowley looked for some substantial reward for his services in the royal cause, but he received nothing. He had been promised by Charles I., as well as by his son, the mastership of the Savoy, "but lost it by certain persons enemies to the muses.' It is said that in revenge

he altered a comedy, the 66 Guardian," and brought it out anew under the title of the "Cutter of Coleman Street." It was harshly treated on the stage, and regarded as a satire on the royal party. He took the failure of his play considerably to heart, but denied that it was intended in any manner as a reflection on the royalists. This assertion, however, gained little credence, nor did he mend matters by the publication of an ode called the "Complaint," in which he bewailed his misfortunes, and styled himself the melancholy Cowley. He now left London, and secluded himself first at Barn Elms, a suburban village, and afterward at Chertsey in Surrey. In his retreat he was at first but slenderly provided for, but by the influence of the earl of St. Albans he obtained such a lease of the queen's lands as secured him a tolerable income. Although very highly esteemed as an author by Johnson, and by Milton even ranked with Shakespeare and Spenser, there is probably no English poet of equal pretensions less read at the present day. His "Essays" have great merit as agreeable specimens of prose composition. He was buried near Chaucer and Spenser in Westminster abbey, where in 1675 the duke of Buckingham erected a monument to his memory.-An edition of his "Works," with his "Life" by Bishop Sprat, was published in 1688 (folio), and his "Select Works," edited by Bishop Hurd, in 1772-17 (3 vols. 8vo.).

COWLEY, HENRY RICHARD CHARLES WELLESLEY, baron, a British diplomatist, born July 17, 1804, nephew of the first duke of Wellington, succeeded his father in the peerage, April 27, 1847. At an early age he entered the diplomatic service, and having been successively employed in the embassies of Vienna, Stuttgart, and Constantinople, he was sent as minister plenipotentiary to Switzerland in 1848, and afterward to Frankfort-on-the-Main, where he acted as minister to the German confederation. In 1852, when Napoleon became emperor, Lord Cowley was chosen to replace Lord Normanby as ambassador to France, and in concert with the earl of Clarendon attended the peace congress of Paris, which opened Feb. 25, 1856.

COWLITZ, COWLITSK, or COWELITSK, & S. W. co. of Washington territory, bounded'S. W. by the Columbia, S. E. by the Calama, which separates it from Clark co., and intersected by Cowlitz river; area, 1,050 sq. m. Capital, Monticello.

COWPENS, a post village in Spartanburg district, S. C., near the border of North Carolina, in the neighborhood of which a signal yictory was gained by the American forces, commanded by Gen. Daniel Morgan, over a British division under Col. Tarleton, Jan. 17, 1781. In the latter part of December, 1780, Morgan was directed by Gen. Greene to occupy the country between the Broad and Pacolet rivers in the Spartanburg district, and Cornwallis, then at Winnsborough, in Fairfield, apprehending that the important post of Ninety-six was menaced, despatched Tarleton with 1,100 choice troops,

comprising 350 of his famous legion and portions of the 7th and 71st regiments, with 2 pieces of artillery, to force Morgan either to fight or retreat into North Carolina. Tarleton commenced his march on Jan. 11, and moving with great rapidity reached the Pacolet on the evening of the 15th. Morgan had intended to dispute the passage of the river; but being inferior in cavalry, he deemed it prudent to retire toward Broad river. Tarleton pressed on in pursuit, and on the morning of the 17th came up with Morgan in an open wood known as Hannah's Cowpens, being part of a grazing establishment belonging to a man named Hannah. The American troops, about 1,000 in number, occupied 2 gentle eminences, on which they were drawn up by Morgan in 2 lines, the 1st composed of Carolina militia, with an advanced corps of volunteer riflemen under the command of Col. Pickens, and the 2d of Maryland regulars and Virginia riflemen under Lieut. Col. John E. Howard. In the rear was a reserve of cavalry, consisting of Lieut. Col. Washington's troop, 80 strong, and about 50 mounted volunteers under Major McCall. Tarleton, disregarding the fact that his troops were fatigued by a long night march, with characteristic impetuosity ordered an attack. The British advanced to the charge with loud shouts, receiving an effective discharge from the American riflemen, who in obedience to Morgan's orders fell back upon the 1st line. The latter stood firm until within bayonet thrust of their opponents, when they also fell back upon the 2d line, composed of continental troops, which was thus compelled to bear the brunt of the fight. Col. Howard at length, fearing that he might be outflanked, attempted to change his front to the right, the order for executing which was misinterpreted into one for a retreat, and the whole line was thrown into some confusion. At this moment Morgan ordered them to retreat to the eminence behind which the cavalry were posted. The British, feeling sure of victory, rushed forward in some disorder, when they were met by a fierce charge from Washington's dragoons. At the same time Howard's troops facing about gave them a deadly volley of musketry, which they followed up so effectively with the bayonet that in a few minutes the British line was broken, and cavalry, infantry, and artillery were in full flight. Tarleton endeavored in vain to reform his troops; a panic had seized upon them, and even his favorite legion, with which he had accomplished so many dashing exploits, galloped away without having crossed a sabre. Tarleton himself, with a small band of horsemen, made a precipitate retreat, hotly pursued by Col. Washington, by whom he was wounded in the hand. The British loss in this action amounted to more than 300 killed and wounded, and between 500 and 600 rank and file prisoners. The Americans had 12 men killed and 60 wounded. The spoils of the victors were 2 field pieces, 2 standards, 800 muskets, 100 dra goon horses, 70 negroes, and some baggage.

COWPER, EDWARD, an English inventor and improver of machinery, also favorably known as a lecturer on the mechanic arts, born in 1790, died in London, Oct. 17, 1852. During the greater part of his life he was a printer, and some of the most important improvements in machine printing are due to him. Among others may be mentioned the giving a diagonal action to the rollers on the self-acting inking tables. During the latter part of his life he was professor of mechanics and manufacturing arts at King's college. He wrote an elaborate article on a "Button," and delivered lectures on the London crystal palace, in 1851.

COWPER, WILLIAM, lord chancellor of England, born at Hertford in 1664, died Oct. 10, 1723. He was called to the bar in 1688, the year of the revolution, in which he took part so far as to form a small company of volunteers, and set out to join the prince of Orange. After the settlement of the government he returned to his practic, and soon became the decided leader of the home circuit, with a large practice in the court of chancery. He entered parliament as a whig in 1695, and gained by his maiden speech the reputation of a consummate debater. The whig party having gained the ascendant in 1705, the great seal was committed to him as lord keeper, and the next year he was raised to the peerage and made lord high chancellor. His judicial business was transacted with credit, and his honorable disinterestedness is worthy of remembrance in having abolished the custom of "yearly gifts" from the officers and lawyers of his court, which prevailed there before his time as well as in the other courts of the kingdom, and which had produced to the chancellors some £3,000 per annum. He presided at the impeachment of Sacheverel, and soon afterward upon the defeat of the whigs resigned his office, went into opposition, and remained one of the chiefs of his party in council and debate until the accession of George I., when in 1714 he was again made lord chancellor. For some time he enjoyed the entire confidence of the king, and had an important share in the political direction of affairs during the settlement of the government under the new dynasty and the rebellion of 1715 in favor of the exiled family, but again resigned in 1718, in consequence of the feud between the king and the prince of Wales. He continued to take part in the proceedings of the house of lords as long as he lived. Although a lawyer and a judge of authority and respectable standing, his principal character in history is that of a politician, where he generally appears as the advocate of liberal principles, both in relation to secular and religious matters, but not always free from the errors and inconsistencies of the time. He was celebrated as an orator for his graceful and charming manner and delivery, with which he was said to captivate the hearts of his auditory; but he was nevertheless the mark for much political detraction, and the hero of a curious story circulated all over Europe by

the authority of Voltaire, that he married and lived at the same time with 2 wives, and wrote a little book in defence of the practice. Although there was apparently no other foundation for it than some early irregularities, it gave him the common nickname of "Will Bigamy."

COWPER, WILLIAM, an English poet, born Nov. 15, 1731, at Great Berkhamstead, Hertfordshire, died at East Dereham, Norfolkshire, April 25, 1800. His father, the Rev. John Cowper, was one of the chaplains to George II. and nephew to the lord chancellor Cowper. His mother died when the poet was but 6 years of age, and the touching lines in which he recalls her memory show the deep impressions she had left on his mind. He was sent early to the day school of his native town, and went afterward to Westminster, where he suffered from the tyranny of older and stronger boys. At 18 he began to study law with a solicitor, Mr. Chapman, in whose house he slept for 3 years, but who set his student the example of paying little attention to his profession. He then took rooms in the Inner Temple, was admitted to the bar, and here for the next 12 years lived indolently, neglecting the law for literature and gay society. He formed literary acquaintances, wrote verses, and contributed several papers to the "Connoisseur." In his 31st year he formed an attachment for his cousin Theodora Cowper, sister of Lady Hesketh; but their union was forbidden by her father, first for prudential reasons, and then because of their consanguinity. Having received an appointment through his uncle, Major Cowper, as reading clerk to the committees of the house of lords, he seemed destined to ease and competence; but his natural timidity and nervousness interposed. He shrank from the thought of appearing before the lords, and when a new office was provided for him by the same kind relative, the clerkship of the journals to the same house, he was seized with a fresh alarm when called upon to stand an examination as to his qualification for the place, and in his mental excitement sought to destroy himself. He soon afterward became insane, and was removed by his relatives to an asylum at St. Alban's under the care of Dr. Cotton. During the remainder of his life he experienced several long returns of mental alienation. He fancied himself destined to eternal woe. He shunned the society of his friends and near relatives, to find relief in that of strangers. In all his sufferings, however, his relatives watched over him with tenderness and provided for him a moderate support. At Huntingdon, whither he removed in 1765 from the care of Dr. Cotton, he met with the Unwin family, who received him into their house as a boarder, and for whom he formed a lasting regard. When, on the sudden death of her husband, two years afterward, Mrs. Unwin removed to Olney in Buckinghamshire, Cowper went with her; and here they occupied a house next that of the Rev. John Newton, curate of the parish, for whom he had pre

viously contracted a high esteem. Olney is famous as the favorite residence of Cowper. Here he passed many years of his life, occupied with religious exercises and in active charity among the poor. Here, too, were written those poems that served to lighten his mental suffering, though they could never wholly relieve it. At the age of 50 (1782) he published the 1st volume of his poems, the subjects of several of which had been suggested by Mrs. Unwin. The volume was tolerably well received; but the ballad of "John Gilpin," which he wrote from a story told him by Lady Austen, gave him a wide renown. It was read to crowded audiences in London by Henderson the actor, and one publisher alone sold 6,000 copies of a print of John Gilpin on his famous ride. The ballad had been published anonymously, and lay for 3 years neglected until suddenly it caught the attention of the public. Lady Austen next suggested to him the "Task," which appeared in 1784, and gained general popularity. The amiable, intelligent Lady Austen, and the older and more austere Mrs. Unwin, were now his constant associates; but jealousy, it is said, arose between them, and Lady Austen left Olney in displeasure. He next translated Homer in blank verse, and published it by subscription in 1791. His last literary occupation was a translation of Milton's Latin poems, with a commentary on his works; but this performance the condition of his mind prevented him from completing. His faithful friend Mrs. Unwin having become paralytic, his cousin Lady Hesketh came to take charge of his household; but in 1795 he removed from Olney with Mrs. Unwin to the house of his relative, the Rev. Mr. Johnson, at Tuddenham, and finally to East Dereham. A pension of £300 had been settled upon him by the king, chiefly through the active solicitations of the amiable poet Hayley; but Cowper, when it was announced to him, showed no marks of pleasure. In 1796 Mrs. Unwin died; the poet, it is said, looked in silent agony upon her corpse, and then turning away, never afterward mentioned her name. A slight recovery of his mental powers enabled him in 1799 to revise his Homer, and to write his last poem, the "Castaway," a picture of his own sad fate, but he died of dropsy in the spring of the following year.-Cowper's writings are original, truthful, and striking. In poetry he was one of the first to break away from the despotism of Pope, and invent an original rhythm. He is never melodious, but always natural and at his ease. He loved nature, flowers, animals, and rural life, and paints scenery with great power. His descriptions are sometimes coarse, but always clear and effective. The moral teaching of his poetry is high, and he strove to force upon his material age the noblest conceptions of the spiritual and the divine. With this religious turn of thought he joined humor and forcible satire. He translated Homer with more accuracy than Pope, but his blank verse wants harmony and grace. His prose is excellent, and his let